High-fliers fast-tracked into the police force under new government plans will
be given 38 weeks to learn how to be a superintendent, despite the position
currently requiring 10 years’ experience.

Recruits of 'exceptional achievement and ability' would understand 'the role of a constable' in just 20 weeksPhoto: REUTERS

By Wesley Johnson, Home Affairs Correspondent

7:39PM GMT 30 Jan 2013

One police and crime commissioner warned that it would lead to inexperienced police leaders “dicing with death” as they took charge of operations.

Chief officers also strongly criticised the plans, warning that direct-entry systems to the “officer class” tended to be used only by paramilitary police forces.

Former chief superintendent Ian Johnston, the Gwent Police Crime Commissioner, said: “The idea of parachuting someone with no policing experience into a senior officer post is at best ill-conceived meddling, and at worst could lead to the public and police officers being put at more risk of harm.

“I’m not overstating things when I say that someone joining the service as a superintendent is actually dicing with death; it shows a complete lack of understanding by the Government of what superintendents do. To think that someone could join as a superintendent, which is an operationally critical role, without policing experience and have responsibility for investigating murders, rapes and serious incidents defies logic.”

The Home Office consultation, published on Wednesday, said the century-old tradition of officers joining as constables and working their way up “may lead to a relatively insular and closed culture among those who reach the top”.

Recruits of “exceptional achievement and ability” would understand “the role of a constable” in just 20 weeks and the key skills and knowledge to be a superintendent in a further 18, according to the consultation.

The full course, lasting a year and three months, would also include 26 weeks of in-force training with “experience in operational command” and a final selection board of up to two days.

Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy, the lead on workforce development for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), warned: “The direct-entry officer class model tends to be followed by paramilitary police forces such as the French CRS or the Italian Carabinieri.

“ACPO has no problem with bringing in expertise from outside and in many forces up to 50 per cent of staff are non police officers. On the other hand, such matters as firearms operations, murder investigations and dealing with public disorder are commanded by those with proven expertise and records of achievement.”

The Greater Manchester Police chief constable added: “Police forces are not short of talent. In fact a bigger challenge is dealing with ambitious staff frustrated by the lack of promotion opportunities. Bringing people in from outside to senior leadership positions will obviously make that more difficult.”

Damian Green, the policing minister, said: “It is vital that we have a modern and flexible police force to meet the demands placed on it.”